Devotion
by ShyAnon
Summary: They thought they could save him, but what they don't know about the devil born boy could be their undoing. How deep does your devotion go and how hard are you willing to fight to prove it? VergilxNero shounen-ai with Dante third wheel. Chapter 2 added!
1. Reckless Purchases

**Yet another story I have toiled with the idea of posting and if I don't post it soon I fear my beta may kill me...lol I did not want to put it under 'Unfinished Business' because this won't be a short story in any form.**

**So I'm leaving the choice up to you guys on whether or not I continue this. **

**I enjoy challenging myself to write things I'm not use to. Like how 'No More Tequila' was something I wrote to see if I could write a decent fight scene. Or how HNM was a chance to test the DxN pairing.**

**So what is this I'm attempting to test out? VergilxNero pairing. Please understand that it won't be like HNM in terms of pacing. Rather than yaoi this would be considered shounen-ai I spose being that there is only one small risqué scene that I'm aware of and I have thought quite far into the future of this story. Like **_**potential yaoi sequel**_** far...lmao**

**So this is an AU story where I'm using the DMC cast. Not sure how long it will be, or where I'll take it, but it is seriously appealing to me. I only hope you guys will like it as much as I do.**

**Oh, and Vergil is not so much the evil guy as we see him, but more 'content' I guess you could say. His past is much altered and he has lived with Dante all his life. So while he does have the cold arrogance for others, when it comes to those he knows he's more at ease. Like a toned down (if that's possible) version of him from NBT. Let me know what you think of him here, because feedback on his personality is important to me. :)**

**Also for an update I am nearly finished with the next chapters of BIO and KM. So hopefully you should see those soon. **

**R/R/Enjoy! - er hopefully...lol**

* * *

**Devotion**

**Chapter 1**

He decided long ago that most humans were evil, repulsive things and nothing more. Then again, could any race or beast ever be truly free of sin? Yet with intelligence to comprehend, to feel, and know right from wrong comes the responsibility to know better.

Forgiveness, love and compassion. That he had learned from his twin over several long years, learning to quell his inner anger at the humans who did them wrong. Through his eyes he had discovered that even creatures of darkness could find contentment and learn to adapt. He had learned to love his twin to the point of risking his own life to protect him. That is what true love is after all. The abandonment of our own selfish comforts in seeking to fulfill another's. Even if that meant death in exchange for ones happiness.

It had been so hard for him to walk human streets and see first hand the cruelty they foisted upon one another, as well as creatures they deemed lesser than themselves. Nothing was more repulsive than their sense of superiority and how it had evolved over the years.

Over fifty years ago human's were blissfully unaware that they did not walk this earth alone, but shared it like a double sided coin with the cast offs of hell. One by one demons sought out a means to survive, the earliest being feral beasts who were not shy of venturing out to find human's to prey upon.

Out of fear the human's retaliated, capturing what demon's they could and studying them, trying to find the best way to use the creatures to defend them from further attacks. Pitting demon against demon.

He had heard the story so long ago, of how unfortunate human women were implanted with a demonic embryo all in hopes of creating a cross breed. One who could have the strength of the demon, but due to their humanity could be controlled from a young age. Many of the mothers dying during child birth, and those who managed to survive the ordeal faced having the child stolen from them before they could so much as hold it.

These demonic children reached maturity a lot sooner than normal children, and once they did they could live for hundreds of years. They were fast, had keen senses of smell, hearing and a power unmatched by any other creature. They were bred to fight, to be controlled and to above all be obedient.

He had always heard of their existence as a child, but had only seen one such creature one day picking apples near his home. As time wore on and the feral demons reduced in number a kind of calm settled in which the creatures once used to kill were instead forced into labor. The one he saw... he would never forget the dead look in her eyes as she worked with an exhausted air. Of the man who came at her, beating her about the head, and how she just _took_ it.

Vergil had run home to his mother, could not sleep or be calmed by her touch which brought him so much comfort previous. After all, she had been one of the few who had been able to smuggle her children away before anyone realized they were not demon, but _devil _born. A taboo coming together of love between devil and human woman. He got a small glimpse into what his life could have been if she had not gotten them away.

Since that day, he hated any human that was not his mother. He guarded and protected his brother fiercely and when she passed after the two were adults he decided that he would not remain in the shadows any longer.

He openly traveled with his twin as if daring someone to try to capture them, or try to force them into labor. Yet after years of hunting down the feral demon's anywhere they moved the citizens typically did not bother them as long as they were useful. Treating them with cautious reverence.

Their last move had been forced upon them, removing his twin from a dangerous situation. But typically they moved for a completely different reason...

Now Vergil eyed the crowded street with disgust; because he knew what it was they were clambering to see.

_Demon half-breeds for sale..._

Vergil had thought he'd finally found a quiet town in which this horrible and unjust trade had not yet come to, but even his brother had told him it was only a matter of time. It was always the same wherever they went no matter how they tried it would always find them. So here it was...

Vergil walked slowly towards the crowd and planned to bypass it all together. He had no wish to look upon the faces of the pathetic creatures that would be used and discarded the moment they became of no use. A voice though caught his sensitive ears.

"You don't want that one. He still has some fight left in him, and if you have children..."

"Fight eh? That sounds exactly what it is I'm looking for."

He recognized the voice almost immediately and felt his insides twist into unpleasant knots. Jeremiah Dukane's honeyed voice had always grated on Vergil's nerve, and it had caught him so off guard to hear him here. Dante and he had left that town two years ago to move here because of that man, being offended when neither wanted anything to do with him. He was a pompous, self centered and perverse egoist who believed the world was his for the taking. Vergil still recalled the incident that forced them to move here, where he'd come home and practically killed the man after pulling him off of Dante. His blood curdled at the sound of that voice again.

"Come here boy. You want to come home with me, don't you?"

"Fuck off you filthy human."

Vergil's ears perked at the gruff voice and almost found himself laughing. No one had ever dared take that tone with Dukane and he could almost see his flabbergasted face even with his back to the crowd.

"Why you..." Dukane's voice growled dangerously and the crowd let out a gasp, causing Vergil to turn to see what had happened.

Dukane was holding a fist above him and Vergil saw it was going to come down onto a dirty shag of white hair. Without thinking he pushed himself through the crowd and grabbed Dukane's wrist. The crowd hushed and Vergil could feel Dukane protesting, but found instead his own attention was on the boy kneeling bound by the wrists and ankles before them all.

This was no demon... but a young half devil like himself and his brother. It was rare, but only a few would've known this by the pure white hair and, as the boy looked up at him, the vivid blue eyes. No doubt Dukane had seen it and decided he would risk bodily harm if only to possess such a creature as he could not Vergil and his twin. Even Vergil had to admit beneath the grit was an extremely handsome face. His eyes spoke of defiance though, even as he looked at Vergil as if to emote _I didn't ask for your help_.

"Vergil! You bastard, let me go!"

He finally broke eye contact with the young devil to glare down at Dukane.

"Up to your same ways I see." Vergil said distastefully as he let go of the man, pushing a little harder purposely so he would trip and fall into a rather large mud puddle for good measure.

He looked highly embarrassed, but his eyes glared fire straight back at Vergil.

"You filthy devil," he growled. "What are you even doing among decent folk? Do they even know that you are a half breed?"

"I could care less if they know my origins or not. Perhaps you would do well to remember your place Dukane. Or should I put you there like I did the last time?" Vergil challenged.

"Listen here, I don't want any trouble," said the man who was selling off the demons. Vergil's eyes glared towards him as well, since he was no different than Dukane in his eyes for the treatment of these creatures. The boy continued to watch him intensely and Vergil felt a pang of pity at the boy's predicament. He had no clothes beside the poor excuse for a cloth at his waist, and his ankles and wrists looked chafed from the chains binding him. It was then he noticed a curious thing. Unlike himself and Dante, this devil's right hand was a physical devil arm. It was large, scaly, and disproportionate to the rest of him. The scales were vivid red, but the center of the forearm and the fingertips shone with an icy blue. It intrigued him further.

"You there." Vergil said as he stepped towards the kid. "May I see that?"

The kid backed away as Vergil moved towards him, at which he stopped and let out a sigh.

"If I had wanted to harm you I wouldn't have prevented him from hitting you, now would I?"

The boy eyed him warily.

"Untie the boy's wrists please." Vergil requested to the shop owner.

"Are you joking me? I wouldn't even if you paid me."

Vergil turned back towards the young devil who just continued to stare back at him.

"Back off Vergil, the boy is mine!" Dukane growled somewhere close by. Vergil turned to see him out of his coat, having discarded it now that it was full of mud and stood close to the shop keeper. "I'll buy him. How much?"

"Ten thousand," he responded with a nervous glance at Vergil who laughed outright at this.

"Ten thousand? Have you no idea of this boy's worth? You sell a _devil _born child at a demon's price?"

This got the response Vergil had hoped for, because even though Dukane was wealthy, he wasn't _that _wealthy. This man could get so much more for the boy with this knowledge and obviously Dukane did not want him to know the boy's origins so he could buy him cheap. The shop owner's eyes lit up at hearing this.

"I'll give you seventy five thousand for him." Vergil said smugly, his eyes looking at Dukane to see the anger and disappointment clear as day in his eyes. The shop keeper looked ready to weep at this.

Even when he turned to see the kid _he _looked shocked at this fact.

"I have errands to run, so deliver him this afternoon." Vergil continued in a business like manner. "I'll have the money ready when you arrive."

"Yes sir!" The shop keep said happily, practically groveling at Vergil's boots in thanks at the prospect of such a sale. Vergil smirked as he turned; purposely bumping shoulder's with Dukane as he passed by. He did not look back as he continued to walk, but had the oddest feeling that the kid's eyes followed him until he turned the corner and left his line of vision.

--

"Have you nothing better to do with your time than sleep all day?" Vergil asked exasperated when he came home to find his younger twin still asleep at three in the afternoon. Dante rolled over and mumbled something into the pillow his face was smashed into. "Mission's do not excuse you. If you wouldn't take so much time playing with the prey you could end it quickly and be home in time to sleep properly."

He went to the window and threw the blinds open. The room was spacious, and well beyond the means of even the likes of Dukane. Yet between the two of them he and his brother had amassed a fortune working jobs that no human's could. There were plenty of wild demons out there killing, raping, and pillaging on blood lust alone. It was the only way he and his brother could find common ground with the human's they lived with. As long as they were useful then they could live freely. To ease the shame of working for humans their fees were exorbitant and expected up front. They owed these human's nothing and if you are good at something you should never do it for free.

Dante tugged the blanket over his head with an annoyed groan.

"You evil bastard. Leave me be, I'm _tired_."

"You are too self indulgent. You can sleep when you are dead. Till then there is plenty of work to be done around here." Vergil replied as he tugged the blankets off of his brother. He tossed his pants at him and went to the door. "You have twenty minutes. If you are not downstairs by then I will hang you out the window by your toes again."

Another mumble.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Good," he replied with a devious smirk. He shut the door and headed downstairs, his mind returning to earlier that morning. It had been a frivolous whim, buying that boy, yet he felt a sense of pride at seeing the look on Dukane's face. They could spare the money and as soon as the peddler left he would let the boy go. He never intended to keep him in the first place, but perhaps the kid would let him have a look at that arm before he left.

The farm house had gone to the dogs, all thanks to Dante's inability to pick up after himself. Vergil was rarely home, traveling great distances looking for paying jobs while Dante did it as a pass time. Vergil's efforts made it possible for his brother to be choosey on the cases he took which suited Vergil fine. He had always promised his mother that he would see to Dante's comfort, but perhaps he'd spoiled his younger half a little too much.

Dante finally showed himself 19 minutes and 32 seconds after Vergil had left him. He didn't give much in the way of conversation as he drank orange juice directly from the carton, finishing the full thing off, belched crudely and wandered off somewhere. Vergil only sighed as he heard an engine start up outside wondering if it was a mission or the brothel his brother was headed towards this evening. Judging by the heavy cologne that trailed after him when he left the brothel was the best guess.

Then came a knocking on the door and Vergil stood calmly knowing before he grabbed the envelope or even opened the door who it was.

"Got him all cleaned up for you and even attached a collar that suppresses his strength and powers," the shop keeper said happily. "That will cost you a little extra, but since money seems to be of no problem to you..."

Vergil just eyed him. Those collars were even more degrading because they used a dodgy kind of magic to suppress what should never be suppressed. For the safety of those earlier the man could've used one on the kid but they were extremely expensive so only in the case of a sale would they put forth the money.

He was walked to the back of an old panel truck with high wood on the side typically used to transport hay to find the kid sitting in the back. He had been cleaned up and given proper clothing of a deep midnight blue. The kid however looked like a castrated animal with the silver collar at his neck. Vergil could almost feel himself shiver at the aura it was giving off.

"What's his name?" Vergil asked as he slapped the envelope in the man's hand.

"Don't know. He only speaks to insult people. Won't say anything outside of that."

He looked at Vergil expectantly as if he wanted nothing more than to be rid of them both and count his earnings for the day. So Vergil stepped forward and put a hand out to the kid. His partially hollow eyes looked at it, then at him with such fire hidden beneath the calm exterior. The kid jumped down from the truck, ignoring his outstretched hand and stood stock still looking at nothing at all.

Silence came between them as they watched the shop keeper get in his truck and begin to pull away. When the dust had somewhat settled, Vergil turned to the kid and reached a hand out to unlock the collar.

The second it hit the ground with a dull clinking noise the kid's blazing eyes turned towards him, and then the kid himself with arms outstretched to hurt or even kill. Vergil dodged it easily, causing the kid to fall into the dirt.

He tried again and again to get at Vergil but each time the elder blocked it leaving the boy huffing down on the ground.

"Know this boy... You are not obligated to me in any way and I will not keep you here. You are free. Just know that my brother and I hunt your kind and if you should do anything stupid I will have no choice but to kill you." Vergil said calmly as he watched the boy turn to look up at him confused. His eyes were still distrusting, thinking this was some kind of trick no doubt.

"I hate these human's almost as much as you do, however I have found a way to co-exist with them. As a devil born child you too can carve your own pathway. Now please leave the premises."

With that Vergil turned and walked back towards his front door. He noted as he turned to close it the kid still lay on the ground, looking around as if expecting for someone to come and tell him this was one big joke. Yet Vergil did not go out to explain it to him further.

He had figured it out. This was not a child bred for labor, but more than likely a wild child found and stolen into captivity. The shop keeper had been mad to try and tame him, as the kid had too much will to be broken like the others. He dared not touch the kid to even examine that arm, valuing his own life too much to let his curiosity get him killed.

By the time Vergil was fed and ready to turn in for the evening the kid had gone and he almost felt regret at allowing the boy to run free. If he were to harm anyone... It would be regrettable of course, but anyone stupid enough to come near the boy certainly deserved it. If he did though Vergil would have no choice but to seek out and kill him. Yet as he thought about the confused look on his face earlier he couldn't help but wonder what the boy had been through. Considering what he had heard from others over the years he felt it best not to know.

--

"He still out there?" Vergil asked three days later as he sat reading the morning paper while Dante stood holding his breakfast plate and watching out the window over the sink.

"Yeah, and I blame you." Dante replied bitterly as he set his dish down.

Vergil smirked a bit at this, but had to chastise himself. Hadn't he thought that anyone foolish enough to approach the boy would deserve it? Well, the problem was the kid had not left the premises since he arrived but seemed to take up shelter in the barn beside the house. Vergil of course told Dante about purchasing him, to which Dante had whined about all the less wasteful things he could've purchased with that money. Once the younger had seen the kid though it had sparked his natural curiosity, which in turn had proved harmful when Dante came back inside with four long gashes in his arm.

"I did not tell you to go out looking for him." Vergil replied evenly. Apparently his twin didn't just go looking for him, but found and had attempted to examine that arm. Only to discover its true purpose. "You're lucky he let you be and took off."

"I'm beginning to think you find this amusing." Dante growled as he turned to glare at his twin. "I'm lucky I heal. What if he were to attack a little kid or something?"

He had thought about that of course, but somehow he could not see the boy attacking anyone who he did not see as a threat. It was a foolish thought given his unpredictability, but he didn't worry about it.

"He hasn't left probably because he doesn't want to be around humans and we live so far out he only has us to worry about."

"Which also brings up the fact he probably doesn't fear us as much because _you_ let him go! You could've at least let him go feeling he needed to respect us enough to back the hell off or run if he sees us. Now he thinks he can do whatever he wants without consequences." Dante continued.

"Fear makes mankind and creatures alike do stupid things. If he fears us, or sees us as a potential threat what do you think he'd do?" Vergil asked finally setting his paper down to acknowledge his twin was speaking.

"So we're just going to let him live out in the barn?" Dante asked dryly.

"It's a better alternative then attempting to force him out. Better wandering around here, then set loose in some place full of humans or back being some wealthy man's slave. At least out here we can keep a solid eye on him."

"And if he were to harm someone, or come after us? You won't be smiling then will you?"

"If there is even the slightest sense he might turn then we will take him down. I have no qualms in that, but were you not the one to teach me the importance of not judging people on first impressions alone?" Vergil asked coolly with a smirk somewhere in his eye. Dante frowned at this, because upon first impressions he had befriended Dukane who ultimately turned out to be the world's largest dick.

"Yeah, well he's your responsibility if anything happens."

This of course he knew, from the moment he saw the boy sitting dead eyed in the back of that truck. Which was why he felt better knowing the boy remained within range of his watchful eye. He had always been good at reading people, and had even disliked Dukane upon first sight. He relied heavily upon his intuition and it had never failed him. The kid was scared, even if he put on a tough face. It almost made him wonder what he would be like if he didn't fear them so much.

"All right then. Just do your self a favor and don't go stumbling drunk into the barn, yes?" Vergil asked looking pointedly at his brother.

"Don't you worry, I'm not going anywhere near that devil again unless I have weapons on me." Dante replied before moving towards the kitchen door. "I'm not _that _stupid."

--

Things grew quiet, or at least Dante did not bring up the kid again and things resumed as normal. Which meant Dante stayed out late, slept late, and on occasion was coerced into helping Vergil to do some repairs around the place. Mostly though the chores were left to Vergil since Dante's dislike of the kid drove him out to take on jobs rather than having to remain where the boy was so close to them.

It was three weeks in to this routine that Vergil encountered the kid for the first time since his arrival. It was a hot day, and Dante was out of town working leaving Vergil to do whatever his time allowed. They had agreed that one would always remain at the home while the other was out long before the kid came, just in case one needed the other as back up. It worked just as well since he arrived considering Dante feared the boy would break in and possibly steal from them.

Now Vergil was working in the backyard on a vegetable patch he had planted when they moved since unlike his brother he hated processed foods, preferring to make most things from scratch. It was while kneeling in the dirt he first sensed that someone was watching him and felt the all too familiar aura of a devil. At first he ignored it, but as it came closer he felt he should probably say something.

"Yes?" Vergil asked turning to view the boy standing at the edge of the patch. He looked momentarily stunned, like he might flee, but when Vergil made no sudden movements the angry confidence came back to his face. "Did you need something?"

No answer, but the boy's eyes glanced downward at the tomato clutched in Vergil's hand, then to the basket just beside him filled with varying other veggies. His eyes returned to the boys and he _thought _it seemed like some of his greens had been missing recently.

"You want some of these?" He asked lifting up the tomato. Again, no response but just an ardent stare at the food before he lifted the clawed hand to reach out in want of it. Vergil though immediately dropped his hand. "Is that a yes?"

Eyes furrowed under the white shag of hair obviously annoyed Vergil wasn't complying. This though was a small test of boundaries on Vergil's part to see if he could get the boy to speak even if it was a single word. Somehow feeling if he could shatter the communication barrier then it might change things even if just a fragment of this hostility. Instead of a yes, he received a nod. It was acknowledgement and that was something if only small so he took it.

He lifted the tomato up and tossed it the distance between them, pretty sure coming near the kid would not be allowed at this point. The boy caught it with his devil arm and apparently was going to grab and run, but didn't know his own strength as it exploded to nothing under the pressure of the clawed hand. He looked momentarily stunned as he stopped mid flight to observe what had happened. Vergil tried not to look as amused as he felt.

"Try your other hand," he offered as he tossed another one, which the kid caught instinctively with his other hand. "You know, if you--," he began but the kid did not wait before taking off again.

On the grounds of testing out a theory he had Vergil made it a daily occurrence to go out into the garden just to see if the boy would make another appearance. He could not tell why, but he was curious about him and the arm that he possessed. Judging by his lack of finesse with the tomato though he had no control over the limb. This made Vergil realize just how dangerous the boy would be when confronted or scared.

A few times he met the boy, but each time he ran off after he got what it was he wanted. Then when Vergil decided he wanted to hear him speak and held off on giving him food until he spoke the boy huffed off without taking anything. Next morning numerous vegetables and fruits were missing and the boy stopped coming around. To Vergil it meant that the kid was once again avoiding him. Problem was Vergil wasn't the only one who seemed to notice it.

"Makes me nervous." Dante mumbled while drinking from a glass one rainy day a month after Vergil had let the boy loose.

"What's that?" Vergil asked in reply as he oiled and cleaned their weaponry.

"Kid. Hasn't been seen lately, and the light's been out in the barn too even when I come home. He usually watches for me, almost as if he thinks I'll come out there again when I get back. Kind of become a ritual. Come home, look at barn window, get glare of death, and head inside." Dante replied as he stared out the window to where the rain lashed heavily.

"Really?" Vergil asked stopping what he was doing to look up at his twin. "Every night without fail?"

"Yep." Dante replied as a loud clap of thunder and lightning broke, sending the lights overhead flickering on and off. It kind of startled them both and for some reason left Vergil ill at ease. The thunder rolled on ominously and he suddenly felt anxious. Silence closed in around them and Vergil swallowed, wanting to say something but unsure what exactly. "You want to go check on him?"

Vergil looked up at his twin who he noticed looked just as anxious as he was surprisingly.

"Do you?"

"I know he's a little shit, but since you talked to me I felt kind of guilty for cornering him like that. Thinking back on it he really looked scared. It bothered me when he wasn't looking out for me tonight." Dante continued before pausing. "Aww, fuck it. I'm gonna go, even if he tries to rip me several new ones over it. This is gonna drive me--"

"I'll come with you." Vergil offered.

"Will ya now?"

"Blind leading the blind or so they say." Vergil said putting his hand out to let his brother go first.

"You're so not funny."

"Of course not."

The two braved the thunder and rainstorm to head out towards the barn where Vergil noted that there was no light on just as Dante had said. Even more ominous was something they would not have heard from inside, but as they drew closer to the barn was becoming coherent. Someone was screaming.

They rushed inside, Vergil thinking that someone was being mutilated within with how gripping those screams were and to their horror found the barn looked as if someone had been murdered there.

The wooden walls of the lower barn were scratched and broken, as if someone were trying to claw their way out. There was blood too embedded in those claw marks and they could hear splintering wood from above. Vergil teleported up, followed by Dante to find the kid huddled in a ball in a corner.

The upstairs resembled the down, except a makeshift bed of straw was in the corner with the remnants of rotting vegetables and fruit strewn around it. The kid was in the center of it with his hands clamped tightly over his ears and screaming as if someone were stabbing him. The fingertips of both human and demonic hand were bloody messes and Vergil understood where the mismatched scratch marks came from.

"What's wrong with him?" Dante yelled over the boys screams.

"I don't know." Vergil replied.

The kid crawled up on his knees and began to beat his head against the wall. Vergil and Dante rushed forward without thought to pull him back, to make him stop. It was horrifying to see for anyone and there was no way they could just leave him in such a state.

"Let go!" The boy screamed in a high pitched voice that cried with absolute fear.

His hand lashed out at them and Vergil felt one of the bloody claws tear into his cheek. He took the sting of it, focusing his attention on what was happening in front of him. Wind and rain lashed against the roof while thunder shook it to its core. The boy screamed again as he tried so hard to fight them off.

He managed to throw Dante off before getting a hold of Vergil's collar and tossing him across the room. Before he could even sit up the boy was at him, straddling him with his devil hand around his throat. Vergil felt his windpipe being crushed under the force, and even that did not startle him half as much as the look in the boy's eyes. He was like a feral animal, uncomprehending, wild and senseless.

Dante appeared behind him and with one swift movement hit the boy in the back of the head with a large crowbar he'd pulled from the wall. The boy fell forward, releasing Vergil as he was knocked out like a light.

Vergil coughed harshly as he pushed the boy off of him to sit up. Dante offered him a hand which he took gratefully to stand up on his own two feet.

"What the hell was that?" Dante growled as he nudged the kid with his boot followed by the crowbar. Vergil said nothing as he eyed the kid. He was bruised, bloody and dirty. How had he gotten that way and why was he acting like this? Even when he first arrived he had not been that insane while attacking Vergil. Thunder struck and both men saw the boy visibly cringe even in his unconscious state. Vergil leaned over and lifted the human hand.

"He has scratched clear to the bone," he said as he observed the raw wounds at the tips of his fingers. It was the same with the demon claws which looked filed down too far from his scratching.

"Kid's not working with a full set of orbs if you get my drift." Dante said uncomfortably as he eyed the hands too. "What should we do? We can't just leave him like this."

"Do I sense a touch of sympathy dear brother?" Vergil asked with a hint of a smirk.

"Tch, as if. Just, you know," he replied offended.

"No, I don't. Please enlighten me."

"Dude fucked up the barn. Trespassing and now vandalism on top of it. He needs to live long enough for me to kick his ass for this mess." Dante said as if that was the obvious reasoning for his sudden need to help the boy.

"What would you propose I do?" Vergil asked as he let go of the kid to acknowledge his twin.

"One sec." Dante replied after a moment of thought and took off out of the barn.

Vergil sighed heavily as he turned his attention back to the floor where the boy lay curled in a heap. He would be lying if he too did not feel a twinge of sympathy for the situation. What must've been going through the kids head to cause so much self harm? And here he thought he was progressing with him. He scowled. Vergil _hated_ failure.

Dante came back a few moments later carrying the collar that Vergil _thought _he'd thrown away a month ago.

"Don't be mad." Dante began when he saw the sudden sour look on Vergil's face as he eyed the collar.

"I thought I threw _that_ away."

"You did, but I figured it would come in handy and make my jobs a little easier. Call it back up." Dante responded as he moved towards the kid.

"Don't." Vergil said in a low voice as Dante made to put it on the boy.

"C'mon, just long enough to clean him up and let his hands heal. He won't be a threat with this on, right? I promise to take it off after, scouts honor."

Even so he did not like putting that damnable thing back on him, but as the boy twitched and he caught sight of those hands again he knew he could not deny that he didn't want to just leave the kid like this. He had unknowingly become a part of their everyday routine. His sympathies were getting the better of him in his old age... Vergil sighed.

"Clean him up quickly. I do not want him waking to find that thing around his neck again." Vergil finally said as he gave in. Once safely secure around his neck Dante easily picked him up and walked to get him down the ladder without dropping him.

"C'mon kid, time to introduce you to Mr. Bubble."


	2. The Devil Boy

**Updates, updates, updates! This is one I've been anticipating just because this story really appeals to me...lol Maybe it's because I get to make Vergil the hero for once if you can call his role heroic. Plus, I do like the pairing as it is set up. :D**

**This chapter is all Nero, but he actually has no name so he won't be referred to as Nero yet. Not sure when he will, but then again I'm still working out the minute details in my head. :) Since we are seeing Vergil more through Nero's eyes though he does come off a lot colder in this chapter than he did the first, which felt appropriate since we're no longer in Vergil's head. :D**

**Also we get to see into his motives and even some of his past. I'm trying to come up with something unique for him because I don't want this to be like every other hurt/comfort story like this. Hopefully I'll succeed...lol **

**SideNote: This will appear on all my updates from now till July 19th to insure everyone gets the message.**

**- I will be attending Comic-Con 2009 this year. My very first convention and trip to California. :D So it's my goal to have three updates (KM, Devotion and a new oneshot) on Sunday July 12th and two more (BIO and Obsession) by Sunday July 19th since I leave for San Diego on the 21st. You guys know how much I love updates before I go on vacation...lol Being a goal, and with my heavy workload at my job before I leave I cannot guarantee that both BIO and Obsession will be updated, but I'm going to try for both. If not then hopefully, at least one of them. Keep your fingers crossed my head doesn't explode. **

**I will also be blogging on the events of Comic-Con and including pics when I can. I will post the link on my bio page to the blog the weekend (7/19/09) before if anyone is interested in seeing DevilWriterN and I getting our geek on. :D**

**That is all except enjoy this and the other updates I can manage. :)**

* * *

**Devotion**

**Chapter 2**

_"Are you lost... little boy?"_

_Zzzttt!_

"No!"

The devil boy jolted awake at hearing the sound of his own yell tear from his throat and involuntarily shivered against his memories. Eyes pressed tightly together he breathed the cool air into his lungs that managed to bring down his body's temperature. He then put a hand to his face to wipe the fevered sweat he felt on his forehead but instead felt... something else.

Looking down at his hands he found them both tightly wrapped in bandages. They were so white that they seemed to glow from the moonlight flooding in from somewhere and he was momentarily confused. Then he remembered the fit of rage and shivered once more.

_It happened again_ he thought bitterly as he pulled the bandages away to reveal mostly healed over demon and human hands. It occurred to him that he alone could not have done this...

His head snapped upward and he scanned the room that was not the barn he had called home recently. The boy's eyes narrowed as his heart beat heavily when he noted he was inside a furnished room in a large bed.

History made him alert and he felt panic rising from within as he spied something he'd not seen in months now. A closed door. For a moment he thought somehow he had woken from a dream to find he still lived in his nightmare yet there was something different this time.

The scent of familiarity was on the air, but not that of the man he once was forced to live with but of the two devils... The boy quickly moved from the large bed and apprehensively touched the doorknob almost certain he would find it locked. Yet it came open easily to his touch which momentarily floored him. He could not sit back and wonder about it though as he stepped out into the hallway only to hear a swishing sound. As he looked down the boy realized it was his clothing.

He had long since ripped the outfit the peddler had given to him out of spite and lived with what was left of it in the mean time. Now though he was in cotton pajama's that smelled fresh which only confused him further. The peddler said he did the boy a kindness by dressing him but all the boy wanted to do was rip his throat out for coming near him.

When he was free he would do just that.

_They are devil hunters. Didn't you know boy? They hunt and kill your kind for sport. Creatures... like your parents..._

The man had told him that and it burned deep into his soul.

_I'll give you your freedom and your revenge in return for one last favor._

Freedom he'd never known and revenge he never knew he needed. How could he refuse after six years of solitary torture at the hands of that man? What was two lives of the devils who killed his family and stolen any semblance of a safe life from him when compared to freedom?

To secure it though he had a job to do and he was not leaving until he accomplished it. To his great annoyance though the job in question wasn't as easy as he originally thought it was going to be. The man had never told him the two he was seeking out were like him or that unlike him they could easily defend themselves.

He had accomplished one task unknowingly by being brought inside the home, but this was not going to be so easy. Against the two he stood no chance as he knew nothing of fighting and if truth be told his captivity had made him thin and weak in comparison to them.

The day the boy had come he was so sure he would kill the elder, go after the younger and find his freedom at long last. Yet the elder was strong and even when the younger devil had tried to check on him the younger twin had defended himself well against the boy's frightful attempts.

So he had been waiting... Watching them for a sign of weakness. Originally he was supposed to be sold, which he had, but he was not supposed to be discarded before he even entered the home. Sensing his chance was slipping from his grasp he had moved rashly in for the kill only to be left in the dirt and wondering how things had gone so wrong.

The boy now walked down the hall, peaking around every corner and walked slowly down the stairs. As he came to the bottom the young devil noted a light peaking in through one of the doors and he heard voices.

"Go to bed already. Your yawning is irritating me."

"No way am I going to sleep with super psycho snoozing away up there."

The boy stepped closer, a single eye peaking through the opening to see the two devils sitting at a dining table. The moronic one was sitting on the table itself with his feet on the chair while the stiff one sat reading from a book.

"You were the one who suggested we bring him inside," the rigid one said with a teasing tone.

"Well, I wasn't about to bathe him in a tub out back now was I?"

He felt his body temperature rise and his ears burn. They had _bathed _him?! The boy noted the smell of soap around him and ran a hand gingerly through his hair which was still somewhat damp. It caused his blood boil as he glared at the two.

"It would not have surprised me if you had."

The moronic one clicked his tongue impatiently and went silent for a while looking off into the fireplace.

"Poor kid, wonder what had him so spooked."

_Poor kid? I don't need the sympathy of murderers _he thought coldly as he grit his teeth together. It was worse because he never intended to be here long enough for them to see him in the midst of one of his fits.

It was that man's fault of course. The nameless, faceless man who stole him away to a locked room when he was only a boy looking for his family. It was all in punishment he had been told for crimes done to the man and his family by half breeds. Half breeds like _him_.

_I just find your kind beautiful... from the tears you shed to the blood you drip. Less demon, more human. _

_Scream for me..._

Electricity, lightning and thunder. The worst storms of his life coincided with a vast majority of his torture.

_You would be surprised the sounds a human can make when hooked up to electrodes. My mother screamed for mercy... and they shoved a knife through her vocal chord. How long before you scream boy?_

He learned not to scream because it drove the man insane at hearing it but he also seemed to get a sick pleasure from it. If he screamed then the knife would come out. He could not die by blade and the man knew this. It allowed him to reenact his family's deaths over and over using the devil child as the lone actor.

"It was weird... he has really strange _scars_ all over," the younger twin devil continued with a nervous voice. "He's like us, so he shouldn't have them right?"

"It means...," the elder began before pausing for a moment. "that he received them when he was young. Before he came into his ability to heal. Even you have scars from childhood."

"What, you mean the ones on my knees?" The younger asked as he lifted a pant leg to look.

"That would be the ones. From when you were stupid enough to jump off the roof thinking you could fly," the elder replied with an amused smirk.

"_You _were the one who said I could," his twin snapped.

"And _you _believed me, making _you_ stupid."

"What are we going to do with him Vergil?" The younger cut in impatiently at his brother's words. "You know he's not going to be all sunshine and daisies when he wakes up."

"I had not thought that far. After all, you are calling the shots here are you not Dante?" The elder mused back at him.

"Ohhh no, you're not pawning this off on me. We checked on him mutually, brought him in mu--"

"_You _brought him in."

"You were thinking it too, don't deny it."

The one called Vergil sighed before standing. The boy shrank back from the door a bit at the sheer height of the devil as he walked across the room to place the book back into its cupboard.

"I say we let him go. After what happened last night there is no real way to talk with him and to do so would only provoke him further."

"So we're going to just let him stay in the barn?" The one called Dante asked skeptically. "Seriously man, the kid is messed in the head. I think we should send him packing."

_What? _

This was no good. How could he get close enough to kill them if he were sent away?

"Just say you'll consider it?" Dante asked with a bit of a yawn. The elder one looked thoughtful but said nothing. The devil boy didn't wait to hear his answer as he turned toward the front door and without even worrying about being heard walked out of the door.

He did not look back as he went straight to the barn thankful that the thunderstorm had passed.

What he needed was to think of something quick. He knew only two things... If he were tossed out now he would never have a chance to take his revenge, and if he moved too rashly he would never be able to defeat them when compared to their strength.

When he entered the barn the young devil felt himself shiver at the sight that met his eyes. It shouldn't have bothered him of course because he should've been use to the sight of the destruction he could cause once under the effects of a fit, yet seeing it out in the free world opened up angry wounds that had not yet healed both physically and mentally.

_Kill them and you will be free..._

If only that were a simple task. He needed a plan and he needed to come up with one soon before he found himself at a disadvantage.

--

A day went by and to his relief the storm from that night gave way to clear nights and sunny days, which meant the devil boy was of sound mind to come up with some sort of a plan.

The number one priority would be finding a way to remain close to the devils. After that, building up his strength and abilities until he could outmatch the two in a fight. One would obviously compliment the other since remaining close to them would give him the benefit of their abilities and secrets.

Despite knowing he had to approach them, since they seemed determined not to cross his path again, he found he could not bring himself to do it just yet. This was his only hand to play and if it did not work then what would he do? He could be killed by them, or be on the run from the man who after all this time managed to have some invisible hold on him. Paranoia getting the better of him the one time he tried to leave the property only to sense someone following close to him. He never knew who it was, but it had frightened him enough to come back to the shelter of the barn.

So now he sat up in the loft glaring at a spider that was crawling its way up the wall. Truth be told he was bored out of his mind being cooped up for over a month in this place. Not like he hadn't been while held captive in the dark room, but now he was out and had more freedom. Yet he was still confining himself almost out of habit.

It was while he was brooding on these thoughts that he heard a very gentle noise coming from below. He knelt forward to look down seeing nothing at all. Then as his eyes traveled up to the barn door he noticed the latch was twitching.

Next thing it slowly unlatched and pushed open. His eyes narrowed as not the figure of the devils entered, but that of a human child.

The young devil watched silently as the human boy left the door open behind him and started looking around.

"Vergil?"

His eyes narrowed even more at the name the boy was calling out. Did the human brat not realize he was trespassing on the land of two half devils?

"I saw ya come in here, no sense in hiding!" He chimed again as he continued to search around. Then his eyes lifted and the human boy saw him. "Who are you?"

The young devil didn't reply, only stared on at the carrot red hair and light blue eyes peering curiously up at him.

"You another brother?" The human boy asked then added when he looked at him confused. "The white hair. You Dante and Vergil's brother?"

"No," the young devil growled defensively.

"I'm Peter."

_Good for you._

Peter just continued to watch him as if he were to do something more then just glower at him. When he didn't the human boy began climbing the loft ladder.

"What are you doing?" The young devil growled peevishly before backing up when Peter did not falter in climbing up.

"What's your name?" Peter asked again once he'd made it up and dusted his overalls off.

"None of your business." He growled in reply. The truth was... he didn't know. He couldn't remember ever having one and the man had never called him anything but _you_, _boy _and _monster_.

_Monsters don't need names to differentiate them because they are all the same. _The man had told him the one time he thought to ask. He had stupidly asked the man, who to him had no name either, if that meant the man too was a monster and had been punished severely for it.

"You living with Dante and Vergil?" Peter continued completely unphased by the cold in his voice. In fact the human boy, who was probably about ten, only seemed more curious. "Dude, look at that arm! That's wicked!"

The kid moved towards him and it made young devil move back further. Children did not bother him, but he still did not like being touched.

"Do you mind?" He asked as he pulled his arm behind his back.

"Oh, sorry. Just never saw nothing like that before. Is that really your arm?"

He nodded.

"Cool... So what are you doing--"

"Do you ever stop asking questions?" He asked in the face of this unphased child. Peter only shrugged.

"You must be friends with Dante right? He's an old jerk... but Vergil is sooo cool!" He exclaimed as he once again bypassed the young devils evasive attempts to end the conversation. "Did I ever tell you he saved me?"

"I just met you, so how--"

"Oh! I gotta tell you!"

The human boy sat back in the hay to get comfortable and the young devil suddenly understood why some species ate their young.

"I was out looking for rocks--" Peter began before the devil boy interrupted him.

"Rocks?"

"I collect them. There is this awesome cave that has some awesome stuff in it, but Vergil says I can't go there anymore because--"

"Peter."

Peter flinched only slightly at the warning tone in the elder's voice. The devil boy looked up and his eyes narrowed as he spied Vergil standing below them staring up at the two from the open doorway. Then without warning he was suddenly at the edge of the loft so quickly he was no more than a blur.

The young devil backed up at Vergil's approach but was momentarily stunned. How had he done that? He knew these devils were strong but he wasn't aware they had such abilities. It only made him feel his task was more daunting the more he found out about their abilities in comparison to his own.

"You are so cool..." Peter chimed appreciatively.

"Peter, go home." Vergil replied with a impassive glance at him.

"Don't wanna."

"_I do not want to_." Vergil corrected. "Did anyone teach you proper English?"

"You could." Peter suggested hopefully.

"I haven't the time or the patience. Bless the man who does." Vergil replied in a bored tone. His eyes wavered from Peter to where the devil boy sat.

"But you'll let him come and stay here." Peter continued bitterly as he pointed at the young devil. Vergil remained quiet at this and it made the devil boy wonder if he was thinking on his earlier talk with his twin on whether or not they would allow him to remain. "He doesn't have a name. Did you know?"

"He... talked to you?" Vergil asked suddenly interested.

"Yup. He said he wasn't family but how come he has white hair like yours and Dante's?"

"Look! It's fan boy. How are ya squirt?" Dante suddenly called from below causing Peter to turn but the devil boy noted Vergil never even flinched.

"Go away Dante." Peter mumbled as a frown came over his face and his arms crossed impudently. Dante grinned as he walked to the wall and began taking down a shovel. He noticed Dante was walking around barefoot in a pair of long shorts covered in a bit of dirt.

"You coming Verge?" Dante asked.

"In a moment," he replied.

"OK then. See ya squi--"

"Stop calling me squirt!" Peter yelled with a slight flush in his cheeks, obviously embarrassed at being made fun of in front of Vergil whom he kept giving glances to. Dante shrugged and padded barefoot back out the barn doors into the bright sunshine beyond.

"Peter. You know your grandmother has forbid you to come here." Vergil continued and this time seemed to ignore the devil boy completely as he gave his attention to Peter.

"But what she doesn't know..." Peter began but changed tactics when Vergil seemed like he might argue. "Oh, c'mon! It's _so_ boring at home! If I have to watch another soap opera I think I might die. Like, _really_ fall over dead."

Vergil sighed when the kid gave him a pleading look.

"Let me help! Put me to work, c'mon. I'll do anything if you let me hang out for a bit."

The devil boy just eyed them both curiously. Peter was human, of that he had no doubts. Shouldn't he have been frightened by the two hunters? Yet he did not look afraid or even cautious towards them at all. Aside from his annoyance towards Dante he seemed rather... attached to Vergil.

"You may join us, but you must promise me to not come in here alone again."

At first this didn't register with the young devil until he saw the elder's eyes briefly glance at him. Was he implying that _he_ and not the devil hunter was the one the boy should be afraid of?! Before he could stop it the words flew from his mouth.

"_What's _that supposed to mean?"

Both turned towards him and he suddenly recoiled from the attention he was drawing to himself. Vergil said nothing only continued to stare at him as Peter glanced between the two nervously.

"Peter, could you please go down and see if Dante needs anything?" Vergil asked turning to look at the boy.

"But--"

"Go help Dante please. I will be down in a moment."

Peter stood, nodded slowly before making his way down the ladder watching them the entire time as if something might happen between them. Once he had cleared the doorway Vergil's eyes returned to the devil boy's.

"How are you feeling today?"

"You kicked the kid out to ask me how I'm _feeling_?" He asked in turn.

"Let's be frank here. Do not deny that you pose a very real threat, yes?"

"I wouldn't hurt that kid," the devil boy said defensively.

"I don't know you well enough to judge one way or the other. I have asked nothing of you since your arrival but I must ask you leave the child be. He has a natural curiosity that tends to put him in bad situations. I'm not alluding to your character, but of what we witnessed the other night. I assume you know to what I'm referring?"

The boy felt his face grow hot at remembering it guiltily.

"You come here to throw me out, is that it?" He asked testing the elder.

"I'm aware you overheard us the other night. It was hard not to only sense your presence but the resounding slam you left when you returned out here. The truth is I do not care whether you stay or go because I washed my hands of you the day you came. Just know that any poor lapses in judgment will result in consequences should you step out of turn."

"Meaning what? You'll kill me?" The devil boy laughed a bit mockingly.

"Yes." Vergil replied in a tone that was too unattached and serious to be laughed at. "Now, if you will excuse me."

Vergil turned and once again was down on the ground floor in a blur of color. The young devil stood somewhat stunned but not surprised. He just kept reminding himself that the man before him was a stone cold killer. It was only natural. When he turned back at the door opening though for some odd reason the devil boy fidgeted when the cool blue eyes looked up at him. Then without a word the elder walked out and closed the door taking the sunlight with him.

--

The young devil watched them through the second floor window with Peter trailing behind as they worked out in the backyard. Peter following after Vergil like some puppy and Dante occasionally ruffling the boys head to his great displeasure.

The three worked and he stood watching. He would not admit out loud that he was puzzled by this picture. The man had described them as cold killers and yet he was watching as the boy willingly trailed after the elder's every word. It troubled him but not enough to deter his motives.

After a while he looked on as Dante brought the hose out for no reason apparently then to use it on Peter who he crept up slowly behind before blasting him with it. He could hear the shocked yell of surprise before a yowl of fury came from the small boy as he tried to get at his attacker. Vergil seemed to ignore them as the two ran circles around him with Peter chasing after Dante who was always one step ahead of him.

"Will you two please--" Vergil began in a voice that was loud enough to carry to the barn. The elder twin stopped mid sentence though as Dante quickly sprayed _him _with the hose. The three went still before Dante took off running, dropping the hose as his older brother chased after him.

"Get him Vergil!" Peter cheered as Dante slipped in the mud created by the fallen hose in the dirt. Vergil grabbed up the hose and aimed it at his brother who rolled around trying to block the pressure of the water from hitting his face.

"I-I-I give in! Stahhh, Verggggg," Dante mumbled as water went into his mouth.

The devil boy startled at hearing a sudden and unfamiliar sound coming from somewhere close by. He turned to look around but saw nothing. It was then he realized. It was _laughter_ and even more strange it had come from _his _mouth. Well... it was only because he enjoyed seeing the younger twin being humiliated. That must've been it.

Dante grabbed hold of Peter and lifted him up to use as a shield. Even so the elder still managed to get more water on his twin than the boy. Again he felt the urge to expend air in a laugh, but he swallowed it and hardened his face. Despite this the sight of the three stirred something up that made his chest ache.

_Mother... Father..._

Of course he didn't know who they were or whatever really became of them. The only thing he had ever been told was that the two devils down below had something to do with their demise. That hardened his resolve even in the face of the enjoyment of those below. If it wasn't for them that could've been him being lifted onto strong shoulders by his father as his mother looked on with the kind of smile that warmed up any situation. Had he brothers or sisters before the man kidnapped him? He couldn't remember anything except the man...

The young devil found his claws digging into the wooden window frame. Their deaths would not be quick and painless. They deserved to feel the betrayal and hurt he himself had felt all this time. He would take away all they loved until there was nothing left for them to hope for. Just as they had done to him.

Making up his mind he left the loft and walked out into the open backyard towards the three figures now heading back to work after their break. Vergil was the first to sense him judging by the way his eyes suddenly came to his. Dante seemed on guard and gently nudged Peter behind the two as he came to stand side by side with his brother, crossing his arms stubbornly and giving him a narrowed eyed stare.

"What do you want?" Dante demanded coolly. The devil boy ignored him completely and continued to stare only at Vergil.

"We need to talk."

"You have a mouth don't you? So talk." Vergil said continuing to eye him. There was still the threat of violence in his voice masked by a cordial uncaring if he should try anything. That though was not his intention... For the moment anyway.

"Look. I don't like being in someone's debt, least of all two pompous devils like you..."

"Why you little--" Dante began before Vergil put a hand out to prevent him taking that step forward. Not too happy about it Dante stood down glaring at the kid regardless.

"I don't expect anything of you. I did what I did simply because it was right."

"Cut the bullshit and listen. I'll pay the money back, all of it," he pressed on ignoring both twins' comments.

"Is that so? How exactly are you going to repay over seventy thousand?" Vergil asked with a mock smile.

"Put me to work. I'll pay it off by helping out around here in exchange for being able to stay in the barn when I'm not working," he offered. Dante burst out laughing.

"Help? _Now _he wants to help?"

"Stop being a prick," the devil boy snapped pointing a demonic finger at the younger twin.

"This _prick _was cut up by you, or have you forgotten?"

"Enough..." Vergil said when the two threatened to continue bickering. "Why should I believe you suddenly are so compliant?"

"I'm not. You aren't asking me and if you did I would turn you down. But even a hard ass like me doesn't want to have to owe anything. You may think me a monster, but I have my pride and I won't live it down until I've paid my debt," he replied.

Vergil looked thoughtful and stared at him so intensely he felt his face warm a little and his eyes harden as if Vergil could see the lie festering in his soul. Peter's face appeared around Vergil's hip as he too looked him over yet not quite achieving the same look as his idol.

"No." Vergil said pointedly.

"What do you mean no?" The devil boy asked with bite in his tone. "You bought me and brought me into your home! Suddenly I'm not good enough for your time?"

_Shit, this isn't good!_ If he didn't get access to the brothers then how could he even consider getting his task done?

"I bought you to spite Dukane, but mostly out of pity. Do not think me a fool though. I have things in this world I need to protect and I would not put them in harms way on the request of a head strong boy. The truth is until you see the error of your ways, truly realize your own strength and potential threat to others you are only going to end up lashing out like you have been. I won't tolerate that. _We _do not need _you_ to feel obligated to us."

For some reason the elder's voice was angry even if it was masked well behind the cold features of his face.

"I'm offering myself to you!"

"And _what _exactly is it you are offering?" Vergil suddenly snapped. "What is it you are good at? Can you cook, clean, or repair anything?"

The devil boy looked away. No, he didn't know how to do any of those things.

"Therefore you are pure useless and I have no time for such people. I gave you your chance and you attacked my brother and almost tried to kill me. I don't need that kind of responsibility and perhaps I have let it go on for far too long. I told you before... leave the premises and this time you'd do well to listen."

Vergil rounded the devil boy without a word, dropping his shovel to the ground and heading towards the house behind him. Dante and Peter remained still looking slightly stunned at the elder's words. The devil boy wondered if this was due to Peter never seeing this side of his idol before, or Dante thinking back to his request the night before that Vergil should kick him out.

"C'mon Pete." Dante said as he put an arm around the boys shoulder and went to follow after his twin. With a hint of guilt on his face the younger twin paused in front of him to address the devil boy directly. "You'd better leave boy. What Vergil says he means," he continued past the devil boy who still stood wondering what he would do to somehow remedy this. But he was too angry...

_Vergil _had brought him there in the first place! The two devils had taken him in during his fit... So why suddenly was Vergil acting so cold towards him? He didn't understand he was desperate not to blow this and so he did the only thing he could think of.

He chased after them, running ahead and around Vergil to drop to his knees.

"Let me pay it off!" He yelled as he dropped down onto all fours. "I don't know a lot, but I can learn!"

"Are you trying to provoke me?" Vergil's voice asked dangerously. Even if the boy could not see it from his position he heard the tone clear as day as a warning the elder's patience was wearing thin.

"I have no where else to go!" The young devil finally yelled hoping to play on the elder's sympathies. If pity originally made Vergil purchase him then maybe he could use that to his advantage. "My parents were killed when I was a young boy and since I have lived with a sadistic man who I finally escaped from to only be sold at that auction. I know nothing of my kind or that anyone else like me existed. Until I saw you in the market place."

He said it all in fast succession as he saw Vergil moving to leave him behind. Vergil though said nothing to this. But oddly enough he felt the sting of tears come to his eyes because even though he was saying this to deceive, it was the truth. It was also the first time he'd ever told anyone about his past and somehow it made his eyes burn. Or maybe it was the thought of failure meaning he would have to go back to that life. The mere idea of that door closing him up in the dark room forever made him break out in sobs.

"Please...," he begged desperately as he curled his fingers into the dusty earth below him. Everything was quiet and still until he heard footsteps approaching. Not that of either devil, but of the small boy who came to stand right in front of him before crouching down.

Little fingers pushed on his shoulders as he sat up to look at the small child whose face was pained yet smiling.

"My parents died when I was little too. That's why I live with my Gran now." Peter said as his eyes watered a bit. Then he moved quickly forward and hugged the devil boy whose own face registered his surprise as small arms encircled his neck. "It's OK now. Everything will be better now that you found family."

Unsure what to do in the face of such innocent kindness he only remained kneeling with his arms limp at his side. Slowly he closed his eyes as another tear rolled down before opening them. Dante stood looking shocked at the two and Vergil looked apprehensive.

"You'll let him stay, won't you Vergil?" Peter finally asked as he sat back to gaze up at his idol with a hopeful face. Vergil face darkened for a moment as if he'd just tasted something not to his liking, looked over at his twin who shrugged indecisively, then back down to Peter with a deeply annoyed sigh. An indication of resignation.

"This is why we should put up a fence around the place Dante." Vergil said as he slid a hand over his face.

"Wouldn't help with you bringing them in Verge." Dante chimed as he patted his twins shoulder. Vergil glared at him and he backed away slowly.

"Come on." Peter said as he grabbed the devil boy's human hand to pull him into a standing position. "We have to go find you a room inside."

"But he didn't say I--," the devil boy began before Vergil stopped them both from moving forward.

"I guess one more member to this dysfunctional family couldn't hurt. But be _warned _that I will not go easy on you. You wanted work and you shall get it come hell or high water. Do you understand?" Vergil asked.

"Yes," he replied on command. For the moment he was saved from having to revert back to his old life. Peter's hand remained clasped to his and the boy smiled widely as he looked down at him. The kid had been a Godsend.

"Well then. The only other task left is to find a name for you." Vergil said after a pause to watch the two.

"A name?" The devil boy asked confused.

"We can't very well call you _boy _can we? Everyone needs a name that identifies himself from others. While that arm alone insures you stand out our names should define us rather than the size of the weapon we carry." Vergil replied.

"Call him Harry!" Peter called out. "That was my dad's name," he added sheepishly when the devil boy looked doubtful that was the name he wanted.

"How about Gilver?" Dante asked thoughtfully.

"Yuck!" Peter howled.

"What kind of atrocious name is that?" Vergil asked distastefully. Dante shrugged. "What about you? Is there any name you'd like us to call you?"

The devil boy shook his head when the elder asked him.

"I don't know of many, and those I do I don't ever want to be called."

_Boy, you _and _monster_ were in the past.

"We could call him Kidd, with two d's" Dante offered.

"Don't be stupid Dante." Vergil said annoyed.

"Fine! All of us have come up with something except you, tight ass. What would you want to call him since he's _your_ pet project?" Dante bellowed.

"Me?" The elder asked before pausing to think. He stared at the devil boy for a long moment and again he felt his face flush at being examined so closely. There was something to those cold blue eyes that managed to both put him at ease and shake him up in a single glance. It never happened with Dante which made it all the more bothersome.

"I think we should call him..."


End file.
